Bosses at a housing association run by former Somali asylum seekers which
received £16 million a year of taxpayer money carried out a “systematic”
fraud, the charity watchdog reports today.

The Astonbrook Housing Association, one of the country’s largest providers of
accommodation for asylum seekers, collapsed after managers and trustees
siphoned £1m to foreign banks and bought themselves houses and paid salaries
to “ghost” staff.

The Charity
Commission said there had been “misuse and misappropriation of a
substantial amount” of the association’s funds and police believe up to £6m
was stolen.